The present invention relates to fixing rollers employed within an electrophotographic copying machine.
In a certain type of electrophotographic copying machine, a developed image carried on a copy paper is fixed while the copy paper is driven to travel through a pair of fixing rollers to which a predetermined pressure is applied. It is necessary that a predetermined uniform pressure be created along the longitudinal axes of the fixing rollers in order to stabilize the fixing operation.
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a pair of fixing rollers in an electrophotographic copying machine for fixing a developed image carried on a copy paper which is driven to travel through the pair of fixing rollers.
Another object of the present invention is to stabilize the fixing operation conducted by a pair of fixing rollers in an electrophotographic copying machine.
Still another object of the present invention is to create a predetermined uniform pressure along longitudinal axes of a pair of fixing rollers employed within an electrophotographic copying machine.
Other objects and further scope of applicability of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description given hereinafter. It should be understood, however, that the detailed description and specific examples, while indicating preferred embodiments of the invention, are given by way of illustration only, since various changes and modifications within the spirit and scope of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from this detailed description.
To achieve the above objects pursuant to an embodiment of the present invention, at least one of said pair of fixing rollers is slightly inclined with respect to a line perpendicular to a transportation direction of the copy paper in order to stabilize the fixing operation. In a preferred form, both of the fixing rollers are slightly inclined in counter directions to each other with respect to the line perpendicular to the transportation direction of the copy paper.